Name that coral...

[Kizmar]

When I purchased this, the lady told me what it was but I have since forgotten. I wanted to add it to my stock list and haven't been able to find it online yet.

Anyone?
(It's only partially open here... each polyp stretches to 1.5" or so)

 

[Bifferwine]

Looks like 12 "petals" on each polyp? Then it's alveopora. It's closely related to goniopora (flower pot coral). Is yours white? If so, that's not a good sign. They require pretty heavy spot feeding. Cyclopeeze and oyster eggs are good for them. The best way to feed them is to cut off the bottom of a soda bottle, put the soda bottle over the coral, then squirt the food through the top of the bottle, since they take so long to eat. If you don't shelter them when you feed them, their food will just get stolen by someone else before they get a chance to eat.

 

[Kizmar]

It's not good if they're white? That's the whole reason I bought this one, I liked the bleached out look of it. I have been spot feeding it, but I'll start using my 2 liter to feed.

 

[Bifferwine]

The bleached out look means it's a bleached coral. It has expelled the photosynthetic algae that converts light to food for itself, so it can't photosynthesize and is slowly starving. Corals shouldn't be white -- that means they are bleached and unhealthy. Never buy a white coral. With feeding, it can come back and regain its natural color (which is usually red, green or yellow for alveoporas). But sometimes they don't regain their color and they just die.

 

[Kizmar]

Well that's good to know. I just assumed some corals were white naturally. I didn't realize "bleached out" in this case meant that it was in bad shape. I should have known considering I knew that phrase was used when describing hard corals dieing off.

I'll spot feed it daily with a container over it to be sure its getting plenty of food.

I'm kinda bummed that should it live, it won't be white anymore. I liked the color.

What would have caused it to bleach out? Lack of food?

 

[Kizmar]

Another question: How long might it take for this coral to start getting its color back IF it's going to pull through?

 

[daugherty]

you never know how long it will take. does it have any color to it in the tank even a pail green

 

[Bifferwine]

What usually causes bleaching is poor water quality, too much or too little light. It normally takes weeks to months to regain the color.

 

[Kizmar]

you never know how long it will take. does it have any color to it in the tank even a pail green

There's a slight yellow-green-ish tint on the ends of the polyps where the petals are. You have to look close to see it though.

 

[daugherty]

i hope it gets all its color back.

 

[Kizmar]

Me too... Should it pull through, I'll be curious to see what color it ends up.

After what I've learned from this thread, I've noticed something else; I bought a white (bleached out) Starburst Polyp frag a month or two ago. Got it because it was white not realizing why. It's been open and slowly spreading across the chunk of rock it's attached to. Over the past week or so I've noticed that the tips of each polyp are turning light greenish-brown. I'm guessing that's just now starting to get its color back.

 

[Kizmar]

Here's a pic of the Starburst polyp I bought when it was pure white... now it's getting color...

 

[daugherty]

what is that right behind that coral on the top left?

 

[Kizmar]

WAIT A MINUTE... this detail page for Alveopora Coral says that the color forms can be green, tan or white. :shock:

Does that mean this thing might ACTUALLY be white naturally?

 

[Kizmar]

what is that right behind that coral on the top left?

Honestly I'm not sure if that's a toadstool or a finger leather coral... Here's a better pic of it... and of the starburst a few weeks after I bought it, still really white.

 

[daugherty]

looks like a toadstool. i was thinking something else that is a bad hitchhiker. but nevermind

 

[little_fish]

WAIT A MINUTE... this detail page for Alveopora Coral says that the color forms can be green, tan or white. :shock:

Does that mean this thing might ACTUALLY be white naturally?

I would say that is there because people like to buy white corals and then it covers their asses for selling dying corals

 

[Kizmar]

I would say that is there because people like to buy white corals and then it covers their asses for selling dying corals

lol... Yeah I'm ganna have to pay more attention to this whole "white coral" thing. :)

 

[daugherty]

corals can look white but usually have some kind of color even if it a pail color but it usually means they are dying

 

[little_fish]

+1 daugherty

Even the "white nems" like condy or seabee nems are actually a light tan color